1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to radiant energy and more particularly to means to align or position an object relative to a source of radiant energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various supporting devices have been developed over the years for the medical industry. In many situations, a patient must be immobilized in order to perform a surgical treatment while the patient is subjected to only a partial or a local anesthetic. Other supporting devices have been devised for the medical industry for positioning a patient in an unconventional position in order to administer surgical treatments or therapy to the patient. Most of these supporting devices have been specifically designed to aid the administration of a particular type of treatment to the patient. Accordingly, various types of medical supporting devices are available, each of which is unique to a particular problem of the medical profession.
An important field of the medical profession for both diagnosis and therapy is the field of radiation. In general, medical radiology is primarily concerned with x-ray and Gamma-Ray radiation for both the diagnosis and the treatment of disease. X-rays have long been used for detecting fractures of bones as well as tumors and other foreign materials within the human body. Gamma-Ray treatment has been used in recent years for the selective destruction of undesirable tissues within the human body.
In both the x-ray and Gamma-Ray treatment, it is imperative that the electromagnetic radiation be carefully directed to the area of concern within the patient. Accordingly, the patient must be properly positioned and immobilized during the radiation treatment in order to insure that the radiation propagates through the selected part of the patient. For example, during the exposure of an x-ray sensitive film of the chest of a person, the technician must properly position the x-ray film relative to the patient so that the x-ray radiation will propagate through the chest cavity of the patient and impinge upon the x-ray sensitive film. In many cases, the patient's body must be established in an arched manner in order to produce an image on the x-ray film which properly depicts the area of interest of the chest cavity.
It is difficult for an elderly person to maintain an arched position for the time required for the technician to retire to a radiation safe position and energize the x-ray tube. Unfortunately, the technician does not know until after the film is developed if the patient has moved and the x-ray image is incomplete. By this time, the patient may have been returned to another area of the medical center and must be brought back to the x-ray room for a second x-ray diagnosis. The second x-ray treatment adds to the burden of medical centers which are already plagued with increased costs for medical treatment.
In many cases a patient may be so weak that the x-ray treatment must be administered while the patient is in bed. The prior art has failed to develop a portable x-ray support for use both on a conventional x-ray table and on a bed.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the radiant energy art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a substantially flat surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation comprising a support having material properties enabling the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through the support with only minute attenuation of the electromagnetic radiation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a substantially flat surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation comprising a support having a base surface adapted for resting on the substantially flat surface and a support surface on the support adapted to receive the upper torso of a patient for supporting the patient relative to the flat surface.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a substantially flat surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation comprising a support with movement means establishing a movable portion of a support surface relative to the remainder of the support surface to position the patient relative to the flat surface.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a substantially flat surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation comprising a support with a base surface adapted for resting on the substantially flat surface and a support surface for supporting the patient relative to the flat surface with an aperture defined in the support for receiving a film sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a substantially flat surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation to the patient wherein the movable portion of support surface includes a first and a second movable portion established on opposite lateral edges of the support means.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a substantially flat surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation to the patient including movable portions being established of a flexible material.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation to the patient which is adaptable for use both on any conventional x-ray table in addition to being operable on a conventional hospital bed.
Another object of this invention is to provide a device for positioning a patient relative to a surface during the administration of electromagnetic radiation to the patient which is portable and permits anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior x-rays on a hospital bed.
Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the description and the claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.